


Midday Dreamers

by CoffinChan



Series: Midday Dreamers [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adult Content, Adult Dipper Pines and Mabel Pines, Human Bill Cipher, Multi, Temporarily Human Bill Cipher, midday dreamers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:42:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffinChan/pseuds/CoffinChan
Summary: It's been eight years since Weirdmeggedon tore through the Oregon town of Gravity Falls. Now, adult Pine twins, Dipper and Mabel are called back to the place Dipper blames for his steadily declining mental health for a family emergency. Despite his growing frustration and heading steadfast for his breaking point, a lot about the town itself has changed.  New locals, new legends, and new paranormal beings join the fray; The Mystery Twins, are back in action.WARNING for drug use, drinking, self-harm, maybe abuse, power dynamics, explicit sexual writing, etc, just- Slap an M on this. I don't know what all will end up in here, bottom line, proceed with caution. TRIGGER WARNING FOR SENSITIVE READERS.CHECK OUT THE MIDDAY DREAMERS ASK BLOG HERE: https://middaydreamersfanfic.tumblr.com/
Relationships: Bill Cipher/Original Character(s), Pacifica Northwest/Mabel Pines, Wendy Corduroy/Dipper Pines
Series: Midday Dreamers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899886
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

A bead of sweat rolled between the time kissed crevasses of a wethered man's face. Above, a storm raged, and though his current home was warm, and safe, and secure, the inner workings of his mind were anything but. A ship, cracking against the forces of mother earth herself, finally within sight of the land dashed across the horizon. Weighed heavy by the victories of its passengers, it wobbled, begging for a break- a moment of pause, anything but this as the metal and water-worn wood creaked in stern protest of the onslaught of waves. She was old, but reliable, which would only add to the confusion of this particular inhabitant.

_"I do not understand the things you've shown to me."_

__

__

"You will- Everything makes sense with time."

"Who are you?"

_"Ah...Do you see? You've had the answer to that all along...Be seein' ya soon."_

The ship docked with near reckless abandon as the current man on deck quickly went about securing this load. The deck beyond littered with strapped and tied down chests and bags and the dwindling supplies. The sun had not dared show itself on this foggy fall morning, glazed over and snuffed out behind the Oregon skyline. The captain began searching, eyes full of panic and guilt. As he tied his last knot, he ran to find help.

An amount of time had passed- Just how much he wouldn't really have been able to say. After the third winter, he'd lost count, succumbing to the mind-numbing scene around him. He had existed in a lawless land. Down was up and left was right and what was a demon to do when he no longer had a plan? No longer had a direction. This was new- and different, which of course, made him almost physically repulsed. However, that only would have been possible if he had a physical form.

At this point, he couldn't even recall his true name.

The demon sat outside of himself, still, quiet, a ghost amongst the living. The living who shielded his legacy, and left him to rot. This particular morning, he had visited the only man who's mind he'd had access too. This time would be different- this time, he knew better than to dive headfirst into feeding the flames of unrivaled chaos.

His previous encounter with the only man on the planet who could perceive him was spent with the entity "revealing the truth of it all", He hadn't planned or prepared for the potential of overwhelming or short-circuiting his host but of course, this wasn't unheard of nor out of the realm of possibility- He just hadn't thought far enough ahead... He was getting rusty.

He moved from the hunk of moss enveloped stone, the blades of grass dancing against the surface weaving in and around each other, almost mocking him with its inherent freedom. His eye watched it as his form floated backward, His mass searched the face of the being that he used to be. Could he even call himself a demon anymore?

He replaced that thought with focus and found the bond, the pull to his current host, and followed it. Miles from civilization, he casually drifted between and through the trees, before a small run-down sign on the side of the road caught his eye for just a moment. "Welcome to Gravity Falls!" The words mocked him. He drifted through the walls of buildings and homes staring at the countless still resting faces that greeted him, and with a loathable apathy, he refused to look too long. These were no longer his stomping grounds, dreams were no longer his domain- he was a being without a home, for good it seemed.

When he finally arrived in the room, he circled overhead, absent-mindedly. Though the two twins before him had grown wrinkled, they were healthy in their old age, so seeing one in the bed, eyes closed, was almost confusing for him.

"Just hold on Stanley, I'll get to the bottom of this..."

The words echoed in his mind and about the room accompanied by a cacophony of beeps and whirs from the monitors and machines around the man. The demon then moved to his host's head, and in a flash, was pulled into his home. In this space, he preferred to remain amorphous, but when greeted with that clean white space, he decided to shift once more, taking his usual form, except instead of that trademark golden sunny yellow, he kept himself ghostly, a faint form of his triangular self. He floated through, silently. As he reached the door- he straightened out his bow tie and knocked before entering.

"Oh! Hey Bill...What's all this?"

Oh... that's right. Bill...Cipher. That was the name he'd chosen many millennia ago. The name that was responsible for shaping the human language- the name that was spoken in hushed whispers, a ghost story on the lips of man. He entered and sat across from the man. The room itself held many of the usual features from the shack he'd called home, however, a few accentuating pieces had sprung up over time.

A fireplace, from the stay in the northern country of Denmark, during the investigation of some twisted folktale stories. A mug, always full of black coffee, received in Egypt when studying the pyramids, a gift from his twin brother. And most recently, a chessboard. Bill remembered the weeks of convincing it took before Stan finally caved under his boredom, and found that it was his new favorite way to pass the time with his brother. Thankfully, Bill also had enjoyed the most recent addition to their unfortunately shared space.

_"I somehow missed the part where you didn't tell your own twin about remembering me, but listen, old man, I'm just as confused and surprised as you."_

"Oh well... Yea that was probably my bad- What's happening? Do you know? Is it your fault?"

Bill waved his hands, the act itself making him wince a bit as a wave of fatigue sank in, and the pieces appeared on the chessboard. Bill moved a pawn and looked around.

_"No. This wasn't me. If it was, I don't know a thing about it."_

Stan in turned moved a piece, and Bill, eye scanning over the board intently, moved one as well. His statement may not have been entirely true- but it was, however, an accident.

"So- I don't know if you're all-powerful anymore, or what you even are, really. But be honest with me, is this it?" Stan asked, and the tone in his voice was genuine and without fear. Bill shrugged. It struck Bill for a moment and the feeling that bubbled up in him was not one he'd ever known, so he simply let it go.

_"I don't know stuff like that anymore...I don't even know how long I've been stuck with you. Time slips away when you're not in control of it anymore, ya know?"_

"Eight or so years, I think now..." He mumbled sighing, moving a knight now. Bill expected himself to feel- something in response to finally getting an idea of how long he'd been a prisoner here, but instead, he kept moving on, moving a chess piece. The words didn't quite sit in him, maybe they would later, but he was occupied.

"Well! Bottom line, if you kill me, I'll haunt you forever!"

_"Don't get your panties in a knot, gramps. You can't haunt me and believe me, I don't want you to die. I have a sneaking suspicion that if you die, I die, and that's one thing I'd be thankful to avoid dealing with again if possible."_ His voice was dressed in vile sarcasm. He rose to the air once more, and moved about the room, touching the walls, His hands moved over the pictures on them, scowling as he passed over a very familiar set of faces.

_"This has been enlightening as always, Stan but I'm gonna go see what's happening out there."_ He said putting his hand on the doorknob. Stan didn't say anything but as the sound of the knob turning hit his ears, Bill hesitated, hearing the chair he was sat in scoot back abruptly.

"Bill- seriously... If you have any kind of heart...don't let me die. Maybe we can work out that deal after all-" Bill's eye widened and without turning, he let it drift over for a moment, the words sinking in. Was this a chance? Another lie? Another slap to the face of a man trapped seemingly forever? Would he even need the deal? Bill didn't say anything as he pulled the door open.

As he opened his eye, he was once again hovering over Stan, and he positioned himself upright. He looked around, and not seeing Ford, narrowed his eye in suspicion. He then moved to the door and poked his head through it.

"It's not good. You know I wouldn't be calling you both like this... I know you both just got college figured out but I need help. You're the only ones I can trust with this right now..." He paused listening to the voice on the other end of the phone. It sounded frantic- scared. Bill stood face to face with Ford, staring, his mind empty as he listened.

"Listen- Dipper- Hold on, son! No...No... Just listen!" The voice paused.

"Look. Stanley quit drinking. He's been in amazing shape, frankly. I know things just happen, but we went to bed fine. The doctors here can't find a reason for this. He's old but it's abnormal for a man doing so good to just slip into a coma... Especially without reason. I believe... It could be a warning, Dipper..."

A warning indeed.

He began to chuckle...which, when looking at the hopeless man before him... in all his hubris. Bills chuckle turned to giggles before he erupted with laughter. The man before him froze, his eyes widening. The demon knew good and well the man before him wouldn't be able to see him, but with these new sudden bursts of power- hopefully, he'd get the message.

The sound of soft laughter echoed in the empty walls around Ford, and a chill ran up his spine, the hairs on his arms and chin standing stiff. All the confirmation he needed.

"If you do decide to come, get here soon." With that, he hung up the call, and slid to the floor, hanging his head in his hands. Bill floated through the man before flying above the roof of the hospital, looking down at the town below him, his eye wrinkled as he felt a sense of ecstasy like glee spread through him.

_"Alright Gravity Falls- let's give this another go..."_


	2. Reconciliation

A frustrated young man tossed his phone beside him, huffing as he yanked at the brown locks upon his head. Running a hand through his hair, he trembled, before allowing his head to rest heavily in his interwoven fingers. He stayed still for a moment, counting his breaths, before looking up wearily, and over to the nightstand beside his bed. An assortment of orange bottles with the caps removed and the contents scattered across the surface stared back, mocking him.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood, his body floating to the only window in the small bedroom, opened the blinds, revealing a fresh and clean morning- which earned a spiteful glare. He looked over the pills on the surface of his nightstand, and picked out three, and threw them back, raising the two-week-old glass of water to his mouth. As they made their way down his throat, he went about his daily morning ritual of self-loathing, mindless tasks, and swimming in the depths of his thoughts, too lost to crawl his way back to the surface. His great uncles' words crashed against the walls of his skull.

Making his way downstairs and coming into the kitchen, was greeted by a plate of film wrapped breakfast, bacon, eggs, and toast, arranged into a smiley face. He didn't have the energy to appreciate the display and absent-mindedly lifting the post-it note from the counter.

"Good morning my dear brother! Today is a great and wonderful day. I made you this-" He peeled the first note away from the second one before he continued reading over it.

"Spread so your tummy and brain feels as happy as the day outside! Love you, call if you need me. Your amazing beautiful twin, Mabel." Beside her name was a small heart sticker accompanied by a star, and Dipper, without a second thought, folded the note, tucking it in the pocket of his sweatpants before dumping the food in the trash, covering it with some paper towels. He washed the plate and put it away. He instead poured himself a cup of coffee, and moved outside, sitting on the front porch steps. He pulled out his phone once more and scrolled through the contacts.

Finding the one he needed, he tapped it, and held it to his ear, listening to the ringing, counting each one as it passed.

"Hey, Danny Pines here. I can't reach the phone right now but leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!"

Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose before taking a sharp breath. His voice trembled for a moment. 

Beep

"Hey, Dad- Just calling to let you know that Stan is in the hospital. I got a call from Ford this morning- Didn't know if you'd heard from them, but I'm probably going to be going out of town in a few days to see them both... Haven't told Mabel yet but I'm on my way to see her- so. If you get this just...let me know I guess- ok- uh... Bye?" With that, he locked his phone and set it back into his pocket, and waited for the meds to do their jobs before he set out for the day.

As the last drop coffee in his cup passed his lips, he felt his mind melt. Comfortably numb. He moved back inside and through his house and got ready for the day. As he entered his bathroom, he made sure to be cautious of the large mirror on the wall, refusing to look himself head on. He ignored the scruff on his face as he brushed his teeth. As he sped through his grooming time he finally walked back into his room, allowing the light from the bathroom to illuminate the partially darkened space as he'd closed the curtains on his way out to shield his eyes from the blinding light outside.

He left the lights out, running, repeatedly, through his mental checklist. He absentmindedly grabbed a loose t-shirt and a simple pair of shorts. He slipped on his shredded sneakers, and grabbing the ring of keys on the corner of his desk, he made sure to grab the backpack by the door, shaking it once, and after hearing the pills inside, he nodded to himself, removed the sunglasses from the side pocket of the bag, and headed down the stairs. He kept his eyes glued to the door, not giving himself time to look over or think about the space and he quickly exited the house and turned to lock the door as he went.

His feet carried him, barely, down the steps of the house. His hand held tight to the worn and chipped railing as he walked, the medication seriously taking its hold of his body as he felt his legs tremble under him. A small price to pay to not allow his mind to continuously attempt to consume itself. He finally reached the chained bike at the fence separating the sidewalk from the street. He fumbled with his key ring for a moment and after unlocking the bike, he shoved the chain in his pocket and threw a leg over the seat and kicked the stand up. 

The bike to Mabel's work was a short one comparative to how it used to be. He and his sister had been raised in Mountainview, a spacious and wide stretched suburb of Santa Clara county. Graduating from a high school there, the twins had worked on opposite sides of town, making the bike trip to and from work a little more strenuous than this one. They had just started working and while public transit used to be their prefered method of travel, it was a little difficult to get schedules to line up. 

Mabel had managed to hold down a job all through high school, saving every paycheck up to move away from home and "spread her wings" as quickly as she could, and the two of them had landed on Eureka. A decent city on the coast of California. Their parents wished them well, sent them off with a small chunk of money for them both, and the two found themselves swallowed by big dreams and plans. 

They'd found a community college to start at, cutting costs of university time- found jobs pretty quickly... Of course, until Dipper slipped back into his old habits.

The bike shook and rattled as Dipper flew over the bumps, cracks, and rocks in the road under him. He leaned his body and turned the corner, sharp, weaving in and out of the tourists walking down the street, he welcomed the wind and sun on his face, getting lost in the sound of the music coming through his headphones as he sped through the streets of his town.

This was not how Dipper had intended to spend this day. For starters, it was far far too early for him to not only be concious but be outside of the safety of the walls of his home. Normally, the nightmares finally would shake him back to conciousness at about four in the afternoon. And of course, no day could be complete without skipping meals, and his daily prescriptions- a Redbull and he'd be back to his freelance work, coding away until he was forced to succumb to sleep once more. Maybe text his old work friends- or wasting time on social media... but no, here he was, biking to his twins' work...at Eleven am, on a Tuesday. 

He couldn't have hidden his anger with his Grunkle Ford even if he'd wanted too. He was ready, and more than willing, to put Gravity Falls behind him, to let that entire chapter of his life fall by the wayside- If he wasn't then what was the point of the medication, the numerous therapists and the multitude of things he'd tried to forget it all. But here he was. Without a second thought, he'd begun looking at plane ticket prices, bus ticket prices, travel options, and plans- and he found that familiar guilty anger bubbling right under his skin, but he had to tuck it aside for a moment, focus. Hopefully, Mabel would be the smart one, remind him it was better- smarter, even, for the two of them to stay put, to let whatever was happening run its course. Go up for a short visit, come home, and just wait it out. 

As he turned on the last street, he approached the nursery. Not an uncommon site in California, a combination type business- A nursery coffee-house, smack in between an old local fortune teller, and a closed-down hollowed out Radio Shack building, which was being fixed up for another company to come in and make it's home.

He slid off his bike with ease, feet hitting the concrete, and an accomanying ankle pop in protest. He ignored it and rolled his neck, chaining the bike up, locking it and he made his way to the entry door, waving politely, albeit awkwardly, to some familiar faces. As he entered, a stout ginger woman working the register greeted him with an overenthusiastic wave accompanied by a squeal. He awkwardly returned the gesture.

"Oh, my gawd, Dippy!! It's soooooo good to see you!"

"Good morning to you too, Beth. Is Mabel around?"

"Oh yea, yea of course! Shes uh- going on a break in five? I'll let her know you're here! So-- do you want anything to drink? It's on me." 

"O-oh no, ill order but I got it, don't worry-" She offered, batting her eyelashes, and Dipper forced a smile in return. He wasn't really sure what to do with this current predicament and he rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting over the menu but as he heard the bell ring behind him, letting him know another customer entered, in a panic he went with his first choice.

"Uh- sure uh... just... Coffee. Thanks." he said, nodding.

"Decaf?? Black? Cappucino? Ameri-" Dipper raised his hand awkwardly, and she paused for a moment, looking over his face, confused.

"No uh- just- black coffee, please." She nodded and punched it in, and while he stood, she motioned for him to come closer. As he did she leaned her entire upper half over the counter to close the distance between them. He moved his own face back a bit, his cheeks heating as he felt himself grow flustered.

"So hey, no biggie or whatevs, you know I'm not clingy or whatever. But, Why didn't you call me back? I've texted you a bunch. Are you mad at me? If not, wanna get together with me and Alyssa next weekend? Or will you be busy?" As she threw question after question, each one made his heart kick up offering a wordless response as his face twisted between a mixture of panic and confusion. She backed off a bit, confused by his reaction to her. 

"I uh-- Uhm... Oh! Oh!! Mabes!! Hey Mabes!!!" Thank god, an out. He set down a crinkled and warped five dollar bill before quickly making his way to the other counter where he awkwardly greeted his twin. Mabel returned the wave but with ten times the enthusiasm.

"Hey bro bro! What brings you over?" She asked, removing her apron and hanging it on a wall hook nearby.

"Can we talk somewhere a little uh-- less crowded?" He asked, chuckling awkwardly. Mabel eyed him suspiciously before giggling a bit at the sheer weirdness her brother radiated from his person.

"Yea, of course. There's the backroom, it's empty right now, we can grab a double booth. Come on." She motioned, grabbing her lunch. Dipper followed her, but Beth caught his arm before he left. She handed him the cup of coffee, and walked back to her station without a word, nodding a goodbye. He did the same, sighing as he followed Mabel. Uncomfortable but brief, and he was quick to push the itneraction to the side in order to focus on the task at hand.

The backroom was indeed fairly empty, the only other patron was a woman in the opposite corner hammering away at the keys on her laptop, three empty cups around her. This would do.

They slid in, sitting across from one another, and Dipper sighed, taking small careful sips of the hot coffee, not wincing as it took a few tastebuds out as it went down his throat. He found the burning sensation a comfort...especially after that exchange. 

"So what's up? I haven't seen you up this early in almost a year. Must be pretty important." She mused to herself. He pouted a moment before rolling his eyes at her. 

"Yea- I uh...whatever, I'm just gonna get right too it. I got a call from Ford this morning- Literally about two hours ago now... He wants me- us to go up there."

"Why? I thought you cut ties with them?" Mabel's cheery mood seemed to fall a bit as the seriousness of the conversation dawned. Dipper pulled at his fingers, popping his knuckles before picking at the paper on his coffee cup, and his heavy eyes looked up at Mabel's face, and he sighed, quickly looking away once more.

"Stans....in a coma..." Mabel gasped softly.

"Oh Dipper, that's terrible! What happened?"

"That's the thing- The doctors apparently don't know. Ford told me, Stans, been clean and doing much better recently, he said he even quit drinking? I... He mentioned Him, Mabel...I- I--" She raised her hand, stopping his stutter, and sighed.

"Look... I know you've had your...issues with everything, Dip, but this seems kinda serious. I mean, what if he dies?" Dippers' hope was dashed, because, she was right. He wanted so badly- for her to be his out, but of course, that's not the kind of person she was and thought he'd happily cut ties with his great uncles, she stayed in touch fairly often, receiving and sending them postcards and letters. He felt childish for having hope only minutes ago that Mabel was going to be the one to get him out of this. Another selfish and silly desire.

"I know... It's not like it didn't cross my mind before the other thousands came flooding in but, Mabes... I don't know if I can go back there." She looked at him, as his eyes traced circles on the table, her eyes full of what could only be placed as pity. 

"Dipper," She grabbed his hand, pausing his picking, and she looked into his eyes, smiling softly.

"Remember you're not alone, yea? Look... I will let you decide. To be honest, Ford left me a voicemail, and I'd missed a few calls but it was morning rush, and I hadn't had a chance to listen through. This seems really serious, if this is what it was about, I personally, would like to be close to this. Without Grunkle Stan and Ford, we wouldn't have ever had that summer, and I will forever be so thankful for those memories..." Dippers face soured for a second before he sighed, and he pulled his hand away, seemingly disociating in the face of the uncomfortable truth.

"Bottom line... You can do whatever you want. Rent is paid for the month. If you want to stay here, I'll understand but I'm going to go. It's our family, Dip." Mabel said, nodding before she took a sip of her drink. Dippers' eyes moved to the ceiling, once again tracing shapes in the blank white above. His mind dove deep into itself. It picked every syllable of her statement apart, rearranging them over and over, not ever really accepting them. He'd sooner choke. 

She was right, though. The right thing to do was go, and be there. But Dipper wasn't one to shy away from the reality.

"Mabel- seriously, this could be...a temporary thing. But it could also last months, years... What you're suggesting is either...back and forth travel or, we move there. All for what? Some old men who forgot about us? Who let- what happened just, be an old ghost story? Mabel, we lived through it... We fought through it...And you just wanna go back?" She shooshed him and his face warmed as he reazlied he'd got a bit too lod, earning a curious look from the woman in the corner. Mabel shrugged, her eyebrows knitting in minor frustration as she shook her head.

"Dipper, again, you can do whatever you want. To be honest with you, I've been wanting to go back for a while. You know Gravity Falls is where my heart is... Cabins aren't that expensive, and apartments are dirt cheap, Way cheaper than what we're paying now... There's a community college a town over... It could work." She said confidently. Dipper was baffled. They told each other everything...how long had she been planning or thinking about this? Had he always kind of known and just refused to acknowledge it? Was this it? Would his life always revolve around Gravity Falls, Oregon? 

"...Fine." He said, sighing, as he laid his head in his arms on the table. Mabel sighed and reached over to pat her brothers head.

"Listen... We'll talk more about it tonight when I'm off... Grab some lunch," She reached into her pocket, handing him a twenty-dollar bill. "And head home ok? No rush. If you really don't want to go, we'll work something out for you, ok?" He begrudgingly took the twenty, stood, and left without another word.

Mabel sighed, finishing up her meal, picking at the sandwich before her. As Dipper headed back outside, he threw the half-empty cup in the trashcan by his bike and lifted a cigarette to his lips, and after unlocking his bike, beginning the trek home.

As he peddled and ashed his cigarette, he did the exact opposite of what his sister had requested of him and found himself heading in the direction of the beach, though not intentionally. The house creaked in these temperate mornings and he was jumpy and paranoid. Especially with how distraught he felt, now. Had he returned to the house alone, a panic attack was surely lurking within. The dread of the dawning realization made his chest sink into his stomach. 

'I'm supposed to just...go back? And act like nothing ever happened??! Like I'm happy to see everyone? Walk-in and paint a smile on my face like HE hasn't haunted my dreams every night?!! Gravity Falls... a stain in the corner of one of the most terrifying places in the continental US. Full of deniers, afraid of the truth...well fine. Fucking- FINE"

His bike came to a screeching halt as the walkway ended, and was greeted with sand. He panted, sweat rolling down his forehead, his heartbeat against his eardrums and he shook his head, dragging his bike across the sand before he finally threw it, watching as the metal sunk into the sand. The sound of the waves beating against the surface of the sand made him wince and he collapsed beside the bike, his jaw locked in place as he ground his teeth together. His hands came up to cover his face. And he was still. 

After a moment he dug in his backpack, pulling out a bottle, and popped a pill in his mouth, swallowing it dry.

Tears pooled, and for once he just allowed them to fall. Dipper decided to allow the weight of the world to fall in upon him, and he rotated his body until he was resting in the sand, his eyes watching the clouds above him as they danced past.

"I don't know...If I have the strength to do this again..."


End file.
